Chapter 16
Trevor
He was back at it again today – moving boxes from the old place to the new one, and while he was at his new home, he took the time to organize the boxes by room and unpack some dishes. Then, back at the apartment, he took a quick nap so he’d be rested and focused for his date with Elsie.
He arrived at her place promptly at six and had every intention of going to her door to greet her, but she was already heading downstairs, coming toward the parking lot. He smirked. He knew what she was doing. Initial greetings were awkward for her, so this was her way of bypassing that.
He watched as she continued down the stairs. At this point, he was just grateful she was still open to the idea of going out with him. As she got closer to his SUV, he got out and opened the door for her.
“Hey, Trevor,” she said, winded, brushing past him to get inside.
“Hey,” he said thrown by the fact that she didn’t offer him a hug, a long glance, or nothing. Just a quick hello. He waited until she was comfortable then closed the door. Once he was back in the driver’s seat, he looked at her prompting her to look his way. When she finally did, he said, “Hi, Ellie.”
“Hi, Trevor.”
He gazed at her more, loving how the pink and white hat-scarf combo framed her face. And she’d worn her hair down. He wondered if she did it so her hat could fit properly or because she knew he liked her hair that way.
“Where are we off to?” she asked, still looking at him. She was glad she had on a big coat so he couldn’t see how her stomach quivered at the sight of him. And what a sight he was. He had on a black hat, black coat, black gloves – his favorite combination of winter gear – and he smelled super good. He always smelled good.
“I figured I’d take you someplace you’ve never been in Charlotte to do something you’ve probably never done before.”
“Something I’ve never done...hmm,” she mused. “There’s a whole gambit of things I haven’t done.”
Trevor started the car. “You’ll check one of those things off of your list this evening.”
* * *
He’d driven to South Park then opened her door to assist her out of the car.
“The mall, Trevor. This is the big surprise?”
“No.” He put his arm around her as they walked to a separate outside venue – a skating rink.
“We’re ice skating?” she asked.
“Yes. I signed us up for lessons.”
A smile had her entire face glowing. “I haven’t been skating since I was a little girl.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes. My mother taught me how to skate. Of course, I’ll probably break my neck if I try to do it now, but back then I was pretty good at it.”
He grinned.
“As a child, you think you’re invincible—that you can do anything,” she said. “Now, that I’m an adult, I look at this like mountain climbing. Who in their right mind would do such a thing?”
“People who are not just existing, but living. There’s a difference, you know. You can exist and be okay doing the everyday mundane, or you can be adventurous. Try new things, new foods, new hairstyles, new clothes—go places you’ve never been.”
“And learn how to ice skate,” she added.
“Yes. I’ve never tried it before.”
“Well, we’ll be breaking our necks together,” Elsie said, chuckling.
After getting rentals, they followed the instructor to the ice and maintained their balances. Trevor took Elsie’s gloved hand into his.
“How long is this lesson?” she whispered.
“Thirty minutes,” he whispered back.
The instructor showed them a few moves to try, and Elsie followed through a lot better than Trevor had. He’d fallen a few times, but each time he got back up. He wasn’t a man that gave up easily. She liked that. He also wasn’t easily embarrassed because he fell so many times, she lost count. She could take a lesson from that. There was no need to be scared of new things. And if she did try something new and didn’t like it that only meant she needed to try again and continue growing and trying.
After the lesson was over, they took off their skates, then walked back to the car. Trevor glanced at his watch. “It’s 8:15. Do you still have some life in you?”
“I do. Why? What’s next on the agenda?”
“I thought maybe I’d take you by the house…show you where I live.”
“Right now?” she asked.
“Yes. I can make some coffee or something.”
“Okay. That’s fine.”
“Are you sure, Ellie, because you don’t have to,” he said, giving her an out and curious to see if she was going to take it.
“No, it’s fine. Really. I’m curious to see this house you’re always talking about.”
And for some reason, he was anxious to show it to her.
When they arrived, he unlocked the door, flicked the light switch and said, “Welcome to my humble abode. I know you see nothing but boxes now but—”
“No, I see the architecture,” she said, her eyes widening as she admired the high ceiling, recessed moonlights and elegant trim. And then she looked at the shiny, dark wood floors. “It’s so airy.”
“Probably because it still has an empty feel to it without the furniture being here.”
Trevor’s phone rang, and when Billie Dorsey’s name came up on the caller ID app, he knew he had to answer. “Ellie, I have to take this call, but make yourself at home—well as much as you can given the circumstances.”
“I will. Take your time.”
Trevor stepped out onto the porch and quickly answered, “Hello?”
“Is this Trevor Myerson?”
“It is.”
“Hi, Trevor—Billie Dorsey here.”
“Hi, Mr. Dor—”
“You probably already know me,” Billie said, interrupting. “I’m kind of a big deal around these parks, but just in case, allow me to introduce myself. As I stated, I’m Billie Dorsey, the CEO and owner of EBN. What’s EBN? E-commerce Business Networks, my friend. Who are we? Only the largest e-commerce business in the Carolinas. And you probably are wondering why I’m calling you, right? Right. I’m calling you, Trevor Myerson to personally invite you for an interview with the head honcho. That would be me in case you were wondering. I’m looking for some top-notch business consultants for some upcoming projects. My wife said you did some work for some of her connects and those connects only had good things to say about you. She said you had your own firm. Is that right?”
Shrew. Now, I know why they call you Billie ‘Big Mouth’ Dorsey. The man was a straight up talk-a-holic. “I do, Mr. Dorsey.”
“Well, let’s get together one day next week and chop it up. I want to hear more about this company in more detail and determine if you’d be a good fit for the position. My wife says you are, but Billie Dorsey likes to interview all consultants. What day works best for you, my friend?”
“How about next week Friday?” Trevor asked because pushing it out would give him time to figure out if he still wanted the job. He didn’t know how to feel about it at the moment, especially with Elsie being in the mix of this confusing deal.
“Next Friday, you say?”
“Yes, is that day good?”
“Uh…let me see,” Billie said as if he was checking his calendar. “Yes, I can do next Friday. Let’s say nine o’clock.”
“Works for me,” Trevor said.
“Okay, Mr. Myerson. I’ll see you next week.”
Trevor put the phone back into his pocket, feeling a nervous guilt punch him in the abdomen. He liked Elsie. This deal he made with her friend is what he didn’t like. It plagued him. The honest truth was, he wouldn’t have gotten a call from Billie if he hadn’t made the deal with Priscilla. In that same token, he would not have met Elsie if it wasn’t for her friend.
He sighed. He couldn’t give his anxiety attention at the moment. Elsie was at his place and he wanted to focus on her. Besides, he had a favor to ask of her – one to which he had no doubt in his mind she would decline, but if she did, he’d have to convince her to go along with it.
He stepped back inside, brewed coffee and removed some iced oatmeal cookies and cinnamon rolls from the cabinet. Then he walked down the hallway, trying to determine which room she was in. He found her admiring his private, master bath. She’d taken off her coat, scarf and hat and he studied her frame and the movement of her hair when she looked all around the bathroom. He watched as she touched the ceramic tiles and the sleek design of the sink fixture. “What do you think?”
She jumped, then placed a hand over her heart when she turned around to see him standing there. “You scared me. I didn’t know you were behind me.”
“My bad,” he said, coming to stand next to her.
“It’s nice. Your bathroom is lovely. The whole house is.”
“Yeah, I thought so, too.” Being this close to her in his place had his hands twitching again. He put them in his pockets so they’d behave. “I just put on some coffee. It should be ready in a few minutes.”
“Is this your way of trying to get me out of your bathroom?”
“No, stay as long as you like,” he told her.
“It really is nice in here. If I ever move out of my apartment, I want a bathroom that looks just like this one,” she said, finally exiting the bathroom, following Trevor to the kitchen paying particular attention to how he walked. How had she never noticed the sexy swagger of his walk before? Good gawwd, the man had a walk that made her legs flimsy. He wore a pair of jeans like they were made exclusively for him, and the black turtleneck he had on hugged his chest and showcased the cuts of his muscles, broad shoulders and nearly made her lose her thoughts.
In the kitchen, he opened a box marked ‘fragile’ looking for coffee mugs. He pulled out two of then – one with a broken handle – and placed them on the table.
“I tried my best to be careful with the fragile items. Apparently, not careful enough, though.”
“It’s cool,” Elsie said. “It’s still useable…forces you to wrap your fingers around it. As cold as it is outside, I don’t mind.”
“I’m not going to let you use a broken coffee mug.”
“I’m fine with it, Trevor, but your house, your rules.”
He poured her a cup of coffee in the mug with a handle, tossed the broken one in the garbage and dug around in the box for a mug for himself.
“Did you enjoy yourself this evening?” he inquired.
“I did. What about you? Do you have some bags of frozen veggies you can use for all of your bruises?”
He chuckled. “Nah. I’m a tough guy. I have a high pain threshold. I guess I got that from my father.”
“Interesting.” Elsie took a sip. “While we were skating, I kept thinking about my parents. I should probably call them.”
“You should. Why is there animosity between you and them?”
“I wouldn’t call it animosity. My parents had a life planned out for me that I didn’t want, and because I went my own way, they sort of went their own way, too. Looking back, I can see how much they held me back. You said earlier that there was a difference between existing and living.”
Trevor nodded.
“With them, I existed, but I’ve never really lived. They taught me to be safe—to be scared of life and new things.”
“Give me an example.”
“Gee, I have plenty, but one that stands out is, I remember in high school wanting to play soccer but my dad told me I couldn’t because he was afraid I would get hurt somehow.”
“So, they were overprotective?” he asked leaning on the counter, paying attention to her.
“Very much so. And I was supposed to go to Boston University, the college they both graduated from, but I didn’t go. I couldn’t make myself go. It was the final straw for me. So, I left, got my own scholarships and loans and paid my way through UNC. Since I didn’t go to Boston University, they refused to pay any of my tuition. I’m still paying off my student loans. To this day.”
He frowned. Her parents were vindictive, something she probably didn’t handle well as a young adult. “Well, I can’t judge them, but in my opinion, I think their actions were wrong. With that being said, it shouldn’t make you not talk to them you know. My father is a jerk, but I still talk to him, sparingly, because of the love I have for my mother.”
“Why is he a jerk?”
“He just is,” Trevor said, dodging the question.
Elsie knew he was avoiding the topic, so she left it alone.
Trevor drank more coffee. This was probably not the best time to bring up the idea of her tagging along as an imposter to visit his parents, but he decided to go for it, anyway. “Hey, I need a favor from you.”
Her gaze connected with his serious one. “A favor?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of favor?”
“I need you to come along with me on Friday night to visit my parents.”
Her heart raced as she stared at him. He had to be joking, right? She erupted in laughter. “Good one, Trevor.”
His eyes glinted while he stared at her with a straight face.
Her laughter slowly subsided. “Wait…you aren’t joking, are you?”
“No.”
“You want me to go with you to your parent’s house?”
“Yes, and—” He took a breath. Normally a straightforward guy, he found it difficult to ask this of her. “And I need you to pretend to be Rachel.”
Her heart was beating like drums now. “You’re serious?” she asked, her eyebrows raised.
“Yes, and I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t really need you to do this for me.”
“Why do something like this at all, Trevor?”
“I haven’t told my mother that me and Rachel broke up. I didn’t want to upset her.”
“And you don’t think lying to her would upset her even more?”
“You’re right, but at least it will buy me some time.”
“Time to do what?”
“To get settled in this place. To find a way to break it to her that her baby ain’t getting married after all. And it’ll give me time to figure out why Rachel ended things between us.”
Her throat was so dry she could hardly swallow. She drank coffee to alleviate the dryness, but his stare made her more anxious. She didn’t understand his logic. She wasn’t sure he understood it himself. She definitely didn’t want Trevor’s mother to see her as a liar, and she didn’t even know the woman.
“I know this is far more than what you expected to hear when I said I needed a favor, but think about it. It’ll be something you’ve never done before. Look at it as an adventure.”
She raised a brow. “An adventure you say…”
“Yes.”
“How about nerve-racking, Trevor? It’s hard enough for me to be myself. Now, you’re asking me to be somebody else—a woman I suspect you’re still in love with.”
“I’m not in love with Rachel.”
“Then why do you give her so much power over your life?”
Trevor rubbed a hand across his mustache and over his lips. “It’s like this—I loved her. She ended our relationship without any sort of explanation and I could never understand why.”
“Then why not seek her out? Find out for sure.”
“Because I don’t chase behind women who don’t want me,” he said in a hard, firm tone. “It’s been over a year since I’ve heard from her. I’m certain that’s the way she wants to keep it.”
From Elsie’s viewpoint, he wouldn’t be upset if he still hadn’t had feelings for the woman. It was obvious to her that he had. “If I go along with this, what would I have to do?”
He shot her a half smile and said, “Don’t worry about it, Ellie.”
“Just tell me what I have to do,” she said.
“Nah. Don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t have asked you to do this.”
“Trevor, I said I’ll do it. Now, tell me what to do.”
“All you would have to do is pretend to be my girl. That’s it.”
That should be easy, she thought, especially since she’d been secretly doing that since they met. “And I have to go by Rachel’s name.”
“Yes, unfortunately.”
“Okay, then. In the spirit of living and not just existing, yes, I’ll be your fiancée. It’s just for the day, right?” she asked then took a sip of coffee.
“No, the whole weekend.”
Elsie coughed, nearly choked on coffee when she heard his response. “All weekend?”
“Yes. We would leave Friday after you get off work and return to Charlotte Sunday night.”
“And where would I stay?”
“I’m sure my mother would request you stay at the house.”
“So, we’re going to share a bedroom?”
He grinned. “No. Ellie. You wouldn’t share a bedroom with me. My mother wouldn’t allow it. She’s old school that way. According, to her, men and women shouldn’t cohabitate unless they’re married. Since we’re not married, she’d put us up in separate rooms for sure.”
“How big is their home?”
“It’s a two-level, five-bedroom house. There’s plenty of room for us.”
Elsie nervously chewed on her lip. “I don’t know, Trevor. I would feel so bad lying to your mother.”
“It’ll be fine. I’ll explain everything to her, eventually.”
“Okay, well, I guess I can do it.”
“I need you to be sure. If there’s any doubt in your mind, I don’t want you to come.”
“I’m sure,” she said. She cracked a smile. While this scenario wasn’t ideal, at least it would give her more time with her dream man, so why not? She couldn’t remember the last time she left Charlotte and Trevor was a fun man to hang around. She wanted to know more about him, his family and his life outside of the things he told her. This was one way she could easily do that.